I had a small frustration with my vintage sewing machines which I have now cured.
When I sew using cross-wound thread, which is most of the time, I do not use the machines spool holder. It is designed to work with spools of stacked thread, like the old Sylko reels. I run my thread from a thread stand, which works in reducing any additional twist to the thread by pulling the thread off the spool from end, not the side.
In theory, it works great but in practice, I hit a snag. The spool stand is tall, with the thread stand guide arm being 3-4 inches higher than the spool pin on the machine. Most of the time there is no issue with this, especially if I am sewing at slow to medium pace, but if I pick up speed the thread has a tendency to jump out of the first thread guide on the machine. I find this happens on both my 201K and 99K machines.
What causes the problem is that the thread goes slack if I take my foot off the gas. There is nothing to stop the thread flapping up and down sufficiently to pop it out of the machines first thread guide and then all manner of things can and have gone wrong.
To cure the problem I have made an extra thread guide using an empty metal class 15 bobbin (any bobbin will do) on the machines spool pin (see pictures). This is loosely held in place with a "wonder clip" clamped on the spool pin just above the guide bobbin to prevent any possibility of it jumping off the pin.
I have run the thread from the spool stand through one hole of the "guide" bobbin and then continued threading the machine as normal. The thread now runs almost parallel to the top of the machine.
It has been a week now since I started using a bobbin as an extra thread guide. I have not had any issues with thread jumping out of the first thread guide, even when winding a bobbin at high speed.
Result!
When I sew using cross-wound thread, which is most of the time, I do not use the machines spool holder. It is designed to work with spools of stacked thread, like the old Sylko reels. I run my thread from a thread stand, which works in reducing any additional twist to the thread by pulling the thread off the spool from end, not the side.
In theory, it works great but in practice, I hit a snag. The spool stand is tall, with the thread stand guide arm being 3-4 inches higher than the spool pin on the machine. Most of the time there is no issue with this, especially if I am sewing at slow to medium pace, but if I pick up speed the thread has a tendency to jump out of the first thread guide on the machine. I find this happens on both my 201K and 99K machines.
What causes the problem is that the thread goes slack if I take my foot off the gas. There is nothing to stop the thread flapping up and down sufficiently to pop it out of the machines first thread guide and then all manner of things can and have gone wrong.
To cure the problem I have made an extra thread guide using an empty metal class 15 bobbin (any bobbin will do) on the machines spool pin (see pictures). This is loosely held in place with a "wonder clip" clamped on the spool pin just above the guide bobbin to prevent any possibility of it jumping off the pin.
I have run the thread from the spool stand through one hole of the "guide" bobbin and then continued threading the machine as normal. The thread now runs almost parallel to the top of the machine.
It has been a week now since I started using a bobbin as an extra thread guide. I have not had any issues with thread jumping out of the first thread guide, even when winding a bobbin at high speed.
Result!
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